WISE AFTER THE EVENT

The music of this album would seriously benefit if it better corresponded to the cover design. Since The Geese & The Ghost, artworks for most of the early albums by Anthony Phillips were done by Peter Cross, all in the manner of illustration for a fairy-tale for children. This manner perfectly correlates to Phillips' musical style, always refined, often romantic, sometimes 'toy', with implied reference to magic. But Wise After The Event sounds much less magic and fairytale than its cover looks. Most of the tracks seem too plain and straight, and can faintly meet a demanding listener's expectations, especially in comparison to the magnificent debut album. Perhaps side one (tracks 1 to 4) is more uniform and therefore more disappointing, while the second half of the album sounds more intricate.